Disney classics get Blu-ray makeover

[ALIASd]

Posted: Thurs., Mar. 5, 2009, 4:38pm PT

Disney classics get Blu-ray makeover

'Pinocchio' first in line for framing upgrade

By Susanne Ault
Variety

How do you improve on a classic? For Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, the answer is to color every inch of it. Starting with "Pinocchio," the studio is sprucing up the black bars that frame its classic animated features when rendered for the small screen.

Animator Toby Bluth has created "decorative" bars, dubbed Disney View, which will frame the Blu-ray version of "Pinocchio" due March 10. The standard DVD edition will continue to use plain black bars.

Rather than distort the original theatrical image, Disney's classic animation has historically been tagged with black bars on the sides when played on widescreen TV sets. However, some fans have complained that the bars take away from their viewing experience.

"It supports the film, and is at most an accompaniment," said Bluth, who created 16 sets of Disney View bars for "Pinocchio." "There aren't any panels that distract from the film. They are like theatrical set pieces framing the action."

Disney View is expected to be used with the studio's next classic animated Blu-ray release in October, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."

Disney classics get Blu-ray makeover - Entertainment News, Film News, Media - Variety

[twobluestripes]

Well I'm glad they're still preserving the theatrical ratio. But if hope they're not TOO decorative, or they'll be all distracting!

[Romba]

Hmm. Guess I'll wait and see, but I do worry about just how "decorative" these Disney View bars will be. Hopefully they're not too distracting... I really don't see what's wrong with black bars though. Oh well

[Coheteboy]

Yah i don't see what's wrong with black bars either. People griped about the bars on widescreen movies on standard tvs... now they're griping about the bars on the side!

The people griping probably are your typical wal-mart consumer who doesn't know a lick about technology.

[BC_DisneyGeek]

As long as they are optional, it's fine. I've never been bothered by black bars, I don't know why people can't get used to them, top or bottom.

I wonder how many people will be upset when those "decorative" bars end up burning an image onto their plasma TV?

[sailerm]

I hate, hate, hate, hate... did I mention I HATE the idea of doing something with the black bars.

1st as already mentioned it's the Wal Mart crowd most likely complaining, and they won't buy Blu Ray

Second, as already mentioned 2 hours of a static image will burn into a set

Third, it's tampering with classics.

I'm all for window boxing, pillar boxing in good ole' black. My Sony 16x9 offers the 3:4 ratio but uses light grey bars... talk about DISTRACTING!

[Coheteboy]

Originally Posted by sailerm

I hate, hate, hate, hate... did I mention I HATE the idea of doing something with the black bars.

1st as already mentioned it's the Wal Mart crowd most likely complaining, and they won't buy Blu Ray

Second, as already mentioned 2 hours of a static image will burn into a set

Third, it's tampering with classics.

I'm all for window boxing, pillar boxing in good ole' black. My Sony 16x9 offers the 3:4 ratio but uses light grey bars... talk about DISTRACTING!

Light grey? Is that not adjustable? I know my brother's tv (not a sony) has that option.

[sailerm]

No option to change the pillar bars to black on my Sony HDTV... yet another reason to hate Sony.

[Tommy2]

Yes and No. The Blu-ray offers both flavors of the film. The black pillar box is what you get when you just select play. Under the extras you can select the version with the painted bars that change from scene to scene (sometimes a wood look in various colors others include the sky) - yeah it's of weird especially with motion.

[sailerm]

Sounds distracting

[Romba]

sounds very distracting actually

[disneytim]

With or without bars, "Pinocchio" looks fantastic. This may be Disney's best restoration job to date. We should all look this good at 70 (well, technically 69--"Pinocchio" was released in 1940).

[sailerm]

As nice as the recent transfers of the Disney classics have been, I have had issues with every fingerprint and every shred of evidence that these films were the work of hand being removed.

I have the Snow White Laser Disc, and the DVD. The DVD has always looked 'artificial' to me compared to the Laser Disc. Some of the subtle shading seems to be missing from the digital restoration.

I hear that the color palette of Pinocchio has been adjusted to make the film 'pop' more and make it more compatible for 'modern' audiences.

[MissAlyssa]

Well, I must say that while I am not interested in seeing this with the decorative bars, I can't help but hope others will buy it. We all know that the economy is hurting even Disneyland, and every little thing they can do to make money will help them. With this in mind I support this new product.

Lord knows, we WANT them to make money, and if some people want this version, all the better for Disney!

^_^

[BC_DisneyGeek]

Originally Posted by sailerm

As nice as the recent transfers of the Disney classics have been, I have had issues with every fingerprint and every shred of evidence that these films were the work of hand being removed.

I don't mind if they get rid of things like dust, scratches, fingerprints, or other obvious errors. It's true though that the restoration of older animated films often eliminates signs of the work that went into them.

Look at an unrestored animated film such as The Black Cauldron. You can see the paint swirls present due to every cel being hand painted. When Disney restores these films, the coloring tends to look like the more modern films, where computerized coloring eliminated those elements.

I like it when you can still see signs of the immense time and man-hours that went into animating a film. This adds to the film for me, rather than detract from it.